"And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things
whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them"
Abraham 3:25
In one week we celebrated our youngest turning three...
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| Happy Birthday, Sweetie!! |
and sent our oldest off to college.
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| Ready to conquer the world! |
Quite the contrast! The day came so soon. It seems like she was just little, starting her life of learning and growing.
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| 1st Birthday - 1994 |
I've been thinking a lot about the similarities between sending off a child to college, leaving home for the first time, and our Heavenly Father sending us to Earth to gain experience and knowledge. Here it goes...
- We were taught well, prepared to come to Earth, just as she's been prepared for 18 years to leave home.
- We were excited for the adventure....a chance to prove ourselves, use our agency, establish relationships and learn. She is excited for her adventure....a chance to prove to herself that she can do this, a chance to use her agency without Mom and Dad giving their opinions, a chance to gain new relationships, and to learn many new things!!
- I'm sure Heavenly Father was sad to see us go, just as Sam and I are sad to see her go. (Yes, I've texted her several times to tell her she's missed!!) On the contrary, He was happy for our opportunity, just as we are thrilled for her new stage of life.
- Heavenly Father is delighted when we pray, telling Him our joys and sorrows. We are thrilled for any communication we get from our daughter. (She told us she'd call every night...ha ha...we told her she'd be having too much fun to remember her parents)
- When we return home after this life, I'm sure we will be greeted with open arms. When she comes home (even if it's just for the weekend), our arms are wide open, for sure!!!
Oh, if saying goodbye were only as easy on the heart as analyzing similarities between the pre-existence and college life! I guess if it were that easy, it wouldn't matter so much...but it does!
Great thoughts and observations. I remember when Nicole was that little and it's just crazy to think about her being in college now. You've done a great job preparing her for college life. You and Sam should be so proud of yourselves. Hope you're holding up ok! love you.
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